Home for the Holidays
by AgentOfAngst
Summary: Luke Ross is a junior in college and would be delighted to come home for the holidays if he wasn't about to disappoint his parents by becoming a college drop out. But things tend to work out around Christmas. Day one of Twelve days of Christmas!


**It's time for the 12 days of Christmas once more!**

**I wanted to use this first story as a memorial for Cameron Boyce, who tragically passed away earlier this year at the age of 20. Cameron was part of my childhood and many others through the show Jessie and the Descendents movies, so I wanted to write about his character Luke Ross, if he were in college, coming home for the holidays. Enjoy!**

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Luke Ross hated to be the bearer of bad news. He knew he hated it because it was something he so often was. Like almost every time he was home for the holidays. Bad grades, rejected job applications, the ending of relationships with girls who had been daughter-in-law material, Luke had borne it all. As the smooth-talking and charming family disappointment he often found himself letting his parents and his siblings down. And now he was home for the holidays again, trying to get up the nerve to be the bearer of bad news once more.

His parents were excited to see him of course. They had loved him unconditionally ever since the day they brought him into their lives. That didn't mean that he wasn't the family failure though, at least in his own mind. His older sister Emma had an impressive fashion line and his younger brother Ravi was a genius who had done college on double speed. His younger sister Zuri was still in high school but she was destined for greatness. Even his former nanny Jessie, an honorary part of his family, was a movie star. So Luke had accidentally taken it upon himself to be the family letdown.

He practiced his bad news in front of the mirror.

"Mom, Dad, I'm quitting college. I know you've put a lot of money towards me getting an education which I obviously appreciate but uh… That was a waste of money, sorry…" He ran his hands through his hair anxiously and shook his head.

"I can't say that! I'll be grounded or excommunicated or at the very least, cut off. How do I introduce this naturally into the conversation?"

"Introduce what naturally into the conversation?" Ravi asked, standing at the door, likely having looked forward to catching up with his brother. The 20-year-old cleaned up well, handsome and successful right out of college. Luke would never say it out loud, but he was terribly jealous of his brother. But Ravi tended to be good for advice, and he was a good friend.

"Can I tell you a secret? But you have to promise not to tell anyone?"

"I won't tell anyone. What's going on?"

"I'm going to quit college…?" Luke said, looking away with an embarrassed wince.

"What?! Luke, you have a year and a half left, why would you quit?"

"That was the reaction I was fearing."

"Well, you're going to get that from mom and dad unless you have a good reason. You can't just tell them you're giving up on school. So, what's your reason, Luke? Did you get a girl pregnant?"

"What? No! But college was never part of my dream."

Ravi gave him a look, "Luke."

"Ugh, I know, it's a terrible reason. But you wouldn't get it, Ravi, none of you would get it you're all off living your dreams. Mom and dad are proud of you."

"Do you think mom and dad aren't proud of you?"

"Uh, yeah, obviously."

"You clearly don't know anything, Luke."

"That's why I'm not cut out for college!"

"No, you're cut out for anything you set your heart on. Your heart's just not set on college, so college isn't right for you. Now, tell me, what's your heart set on? You can't go to mom and dad without a backup plan, hopefully, one that's especially well thought out."

"I have one of those! But it sounds stupid," he confessed.

"Stupid is better than irrationally saying you're just quitting college for the fun of it."

"I want to be a dancer, you know, a legit one. There's a dance troupe that I've gotten an offer from but it would get in the way of my studies. I nailed the audition, Ravi, I just had to make a choice. And I chose dance."

"And now you have to explain it to them the way you explained it to me."

"They're going to be so disappointed…" Luke muttered nervously.

"You'll be fine, they love you, Luke. They're proud of you. If you're following your heart, they'll be all the more proud of you."

"You really think so?"

"All they want is for us to be happy and safe. I know they'll be proud."

"Then I'm going to tell them!"

"That's the spirit!"

Luke hesitated by the door, "...Can you come with me? For moral support."

"Of course. Let's go follow your dream."

Luke stood in front of his parents, pushing down his nerves. Ravi gave him a thumbs up.

"Mom and dad? There's something we need to talk about."

"Yeah? What is it, Luke? You can tell us anything," his mom promised.

"I realized recently that for the past few years I've been living out someone else's dream. I tried to make college work for me, but I know now that I have to follow my dreams, not yours."

"Of course, and what's your dream?" Morgan Ross asked, looking surprised.

"Dance, I have a spot secured in a local dance troupe but I can't do college and dance. I'm so sorry to let you down, but this is what I need to do."

"You didn't let us down, Luke," Christina promised, and they hugged him.

"We're proud of you. We love you," his dad whispered.

"I love you guys too. Thanks for letting me follow my heart."

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**Until Christmas, I'll be releasing a story every day that has a Christmas-y theme.**

**Today was Jessie, tomorrow will be Super Mario, followed by Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Big Hero 6, Ducktales, Up, Infinity Train, Rise of the Guardians, Gravity Falls, Dear Evan Hansen, Percy Jackson, and finally, Teen Titans. **


End file.
